The upcoming Mexico City GP’s first free practice session will see a notable lineup. In accordance with the new rookie rules for 2025, a record number of teams are placing inexperienced drivers in their cars. No less than nine talents will take on an hour of testing – including several debutants. Max Verstappen will also have to relinquish his Red Bull.
The high number of rookies participating in the first free practice in Mexico is directly related to the Formula 1 regulations for 2025. To encourage young talent, teams are required to grant an inexperienced driver a training session four times per season. The FIA defines ‘inexperienced’ as a driver who has not competed in more than two Grands Prix. Therefore, each regular driver must give up their seat twice per season. However, this rule does not apply to rookies like Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar – after all, they started this year as ‘inexperienced’.
It is no coincidence that so many rookies are in action at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Teams carefully consider where their talents can learn the most without hindering the regular lineup. Street circuits or weekends with a sprint race – where only one free practice session is held – are generally not an option. On the other hand, Mexico offers ample driving time and data, making it an ideal moment for young drivers to gain experience.
Rookies in Mexico
| Team | Driver | Commentary |
| McLaren | Pato O’Ward | Home driver Pato O’Ward will be racing for McLaren in front of his home crowd. He made his Formula 1 debut here last year. In addition to his role as a test and reserve driver, he competes in the IndyCar series, where he finished second last season behind Alex Palou. |
| Mercedes | Frederik Vesti | At Mercedes, Frederik Vesti will take George Russell‘s place in the car. This will be the Dane’s fourth appearance for the Silver Arrows. In addition to his test driving, he competes in the IMSA Sportscar Series, where he recently achieved two consecutive victories. |
| Ferrari | Antonio Fuoco | Antonio Fuoco will make his official Formula 1 debut for Ferrari in Mexico, replacing Lewis Hamilton. The 29-year-old Italian has already completed many test kilometers at Fiorano and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Ferrari AF Corse in 2024. |
| Red Bull | Arvid Lindblad | Formula 2 driver Arvid Lindblad will take over Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. For the 18-year-old talent, this will be his second free practice session after his debut at Silverstone. He is currently seventh in the Formula 2 championship and is considered a candidate for a Racing Bulls seat. |
| Williams | Luke Browning | At Williams, Carlos Sainz will hand over his car to Luke Browning. The young Brit, a member of the Williams Academy program, also competes in Formula 2 and currently holds third place in the standings. |
| Aston Martin | Jack Crawford | Jack Crawford will make his debut for Aston Martin, stepping into Lance Stroll‘s car. Although this is his first official Formula 1 session, the American has already completed over two thousand test kilometers. In Formula 2, he is currently second in the championship with four victories. |
| Haas | Ryo Hirakawa | At Haas, reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa will be in action again, this time replacing Oliver Bearman. He previously tested for Alpine – where he participated in the first free practice in Japan – before moving to Haas in April. He will also be behind the wheel for the Americans during the season finale in Abu Dhabi. |
| Racing Bulls | Ayumu Iwasa | Racing Bulls has chosen to put Ayumu Iwasa in Liam Lawson’s car in Mexico. Earlier this year, he was allowed to test in the run-up to the Bahrain GP, although he was then serving as a Red Bull driver. Iwasa is currently competing in the Japanese Super Formula, where he is third in the standings. |
| Alpine | Paul Aron | Finally, Paul Aron will also be in action in Mexico City. He will be behind the wheel of the Alpine for the second time. The Estonian, who finished third in the Formula 2 championship last year, will take over Pierre Gasly‘s car. This will be the 21-year-old Aron’s fourth free practice session this year – he has also completed two sessions for Sauber. His performances will undoubtedly be under scrutiny; according to top advisor Flavio Briatore, he could inherit Franco Colapinto’s seat next year. |
